Equine veterinarians' care priorities regarding vaccination, colic, lameness and pre-purchase scenarios.
Authors: Elte, Wolframm, Vernooij, Nielen, van Weeren
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Optimising equine veterinary practice requires understanding how practitioners balance competing priorities across different clinical contexts. This cross-sectional survey of 246 equine veterinarians examined how seven key aspects of care—ranging from technical quality and horsemanship to financial considerations—were weighted across four distinct scenarios: vaccination, colic, lameness and pre-purchase evaluations. Quality of clinical care emerged as paramount in acute, high-stakes situations, ranking first in both colic and lameness scenarios (median rank 1, IQR 1–2), whilst professionalism gained significantly greater emphasis during pre-purchase assessments (median rank 2, IQR 1–3) compared to other contexts. Interestingly, financial aspects were consistently deprioritised across all scenarios (median rank 7, IQR 6–7), suggesting veterinarians frame their decision-making around patient welfare and professional standards rather than economic considerations. Quality of service, interpersonal skills, knowledge transfer and horsemanship showed relative stability in importance across different clinical presentations, indicating these competencies are viewed as foundational regardless of scenario. For equine professionals collaborating with veterinarians—farriers, physiotherapists and coaches included—these findings suggest that practitioners' clinical recommendations are driven primarily by diagnostic rigour and contextual appropriateness rather than cost-containment pressures. Understanding this hierarchy of priorities may strengthen multidisciplinary communication and help align expectations when complex cases demand coordinated care planning.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Equine veterinarians prioritize clinical excellence and professionalism over financial considerations, suggesting that building reputation through quality care and service should be central to practice strategy
- •In emergency scenarios (colic, lameness), focus on demonstrating clinical competence; in pre-purchase work, emphasize professional credentials and thorough evaluation protocols to meet veterinarian expectations
- •Client satisfaction drivers vary by scenario type—acute cases demand clinical quality, while pre-purchase work demands perceived professionalism and thoroughness
Key Findings
- •Quality of care was ranked most important in colic and lameness scenarios (median rank 1, IQR 1-2, p<0.001)
- •Professionalism was ranked significantly more important in pre-purchase scenarios (median rank 2, IQR 1-3) compared to other scenarios (p<0.001)
- •Financial aspects were consistently ranked least important across all scenarios (median rank 7, IQR 6-7, p<0.001)
- •Quality of service and horsemanship showed no significant differences in ranking across the four clinical scenarios